In brief
A tragic incident occurred in Sidoarjo, Indonesia, where an Islamic boarding school collapsed, leaving at least five dead and 59 missing. As rescue operations proceed, officials report no signs of life detected under the debris despite multiple attempts. Families linger anxiously at the site, and investigations indicate the building's unstable foundation compromised its structure during renovation.
There are no signs of life under the wreckage of a collapsed Indonesian school where 59 people are still missing, rescuers have said.
Hundreds of students, most of them teenage boys, were inside the two-storey Islamic boarding school in the town of Sidoarjo when it collapsed on Monday. At least five students were killed and about 100 injured, officials said.
Thirteen people have been freed from the debris since rescue efforts began, though two later died in hospital. Rescue operations had been challenging due to the unstable structure of the building.
On Thursday, the disaster mitigation agency (BNBP) said rescuers using thermal drones failed to detect signs of life from the rubble.
Last night, we even [cleared] the area to ensure silence. [We] hoped that with the use of sophisticated equipment... we might hear some signs of life, Lt Gen Suharyanto, the head of the BNBP said at a press conference.
He added that the team had decided to move on to the next phase of operations - using heavy equipment to move slabs of concrete, either lifting them with cranes or cutting them into smaller pieces.
Authorities reported that the building was under construction when it collapsed, with two additional floors being added without proper permits.
Families of those missing remain hopeful, desperately waiting for news amidst the chaos.
